Blue Chip pick suggestion

I have a J-45 and a Hummingbird and have been trying the Blue Chip TD 35 and 40 picks for the past week or so and canít decide between them. I really like how fluid they are coming off of the strings and the sound. Part of me likes the 35 on the HB because everything sparkles a little more, and the 40 more on the J-45 because of less string rattle on the low strings (iím Sure iím Not describing this correctly). Iím playing mostly jadon Aldean, Eric Church, and Kenny Chesney music if that helps. The 40 sounds fuller on both guitars for sure but less bright.

Iíve got to ask, and I mean no disrespect whatsoever in doing so, but what is it about Blue Chip picks that makes them so expensive and justifies the outlay?

Iíve used the yellow Dunlop Tortex picks for close to 20yrs, Iíve never found a pick I like better and theyíre tactile, toneful and inexpensive. Over here in the UK, Blue Chip picks are £40 a piece. Obviously theyíre a different kettle of fish, but I could buy 100 Tortex picks for that...what is it that makes the difference in build quality and price accordingly?

...what is it that makes the difference in build quality and price accordingly?

Very (very!) subjective, pick choice is......like string choice. Blue Chip for me has the feel, response and sound I want to hear from my guitar.
The high price is due to the cost of the material, something from DuPont. Of all the picks out there this one works to ALL of my expectations of a guitar pick.
Warm rather than bright. Smooth attack, never harsh nor brittle. Very good tactility, to the grip and string aftack. Absolutely no wear......none behind years of service.....this still amazes me.

If one tends to lose track of things like guitar picks, dropping $30 on such a thing may well seem crazy. I do understand. Also that every player has different
expectations and their own way of meeting them. Cool.

J45 Vintage - J45 12 fretKnowin' where you're goin' is mostly knowin' where you have been. Buc, from Me & EddieATLANTA: Bitter TearsAn original account of Gen'l Sherman's march through Georgia in the winter of 1864

Iíve got to ask, and I mean no disrespect whatsoever in doing so, but what is it about Blue Chip picks that makes them so expensive and justifies the outlay?

Iíve used the yellow Dunlop Tortex picks for close to 20yrs, Iíve never found a pick I like better and theyíre tactile, toneful and inexpensive. Over here in the UK, Blue Chip picks are £40 a piece. Obviously theyíre a different kettle of fish, but I could buy 100 Tortex picks for that...what is it that makes the difference in build quality and price accordingly?

The Tortex picks are the best cheap picks I've found if you like the feel and tone of high end picks such as the Blue Chip and Red Bear, but don't want to pay the price. As Buc says, the Blue Chip (I have a TFR 50 he gave me a few years ago) has a thick, warm tone that's hard to beat if you have the right guitar for it.

Well Mike I have three TD-35's. I also have numerous other picks as we all do. I like the quality of the Blue Chip. On of the main reasons I like it is it doesn't have that clackity pick noise you hear with many other picks. I also have both a J-45 and a Hummingbird and love the sound of the Blue Chip with both. Not dull, not harsh, just right. You also want to keep track of where you put them, not a good thing to lose a pick of that price.

The question of can you justify the price? Well compared to the cost of most of the guitars we play it's a pretty small price. And if you like them you're not going to keep reminding yourself how much you paid for that pick while you're enjoying the music it produces from your guitar. We can only justify our purchases to ourselves, it really doesn't matter what others think. I fell you'll be happy with either of those picks on your Gibsons...I know I sure do. Good luck!

Blue Chip Picks are made from a proprietary material, not plastic. Benefits are - less effort to hold, free's the wrist.... and less pick click with clean tone. There are endless options for shape and thickness, R/L bevel or no bevel. Example, order a TD40, at checkout in special instructions ask for 42 thickness.

I like variety & own guitars from several diff makers. These are the picks I use for tone control:

Blue Chip Picks are made from a proprietary material, not plastic. Benefits are - less effort to hold, free's the wrist.... and less pick click with clean tone. There are endless options for shape and thickness, R/L bevel or no bevel. Example, order a TD40, at checkout in special instructions ask for 42 thickness.

I like variety & own guitars from several diff makers. These are the picks I use for tone control:

Spaceage Polymers? How thick are they? I like about .8 to 1mm. Sometimes I'll rock up to a 1.5mm.

vs typical plastic, the BC will sound a tad stronger and brighter in my experience. The more rounded tip models vs Tear Drop (TD) will also effect tone. I found the TD35 to be too thin and bright, a tad so for the TD40, thus my 42. I use the 53 for my huge sounding Collings CJ, softens it up a bit. Many options but imo 40 is a good place to start, browse their site:

I got one of these a few years back, the TD40. I has really helped me thanks to their stickyness. I had a BIG problem with the pick slipping between my fingers, changing the angle of attack and tone, as I worked my way through a song. The heavier the strumming, the more problems I had. I read about these, and gave one a try. It has done wonders for me! These picks tend to develop just the right amount of stickyness from the heat of my fingers not to slip. I've had it for about four years now, with no wear showing. When looked at it this way, $25 is cheap. However, should I misplace one every week or so, I would probably think differently. I have always used one of the rounded sides of my picks, even the ones like the TD40 designed with a pointier end. Gives me a mellower tone and more pick area to grip, and the TD40 also has much less pick noice than any other ones I've ever used..

I also got a TD35 not so long ago. For me this one sounds slightly better on guitars with light strings. I tend to put 13s on my Martins, so they get the TD40. My Gibsons get 12s, so they get the TD35. Call me crazy, but I need all the help I can get, so I like them!

vs typical plastic, the BC will sound a tad stronger and brighter in my experience. The more rounded tip models vs Tear Drop (TD) will also effect tone. I found the TD35 to be too thin and bright, a tad so for the TD40, thus my 42. I use the 53 for my huge sounding Collings CJ, softens it up a bit. Many options but imo 40 is a good place to start, browse their site:

Iíve got to ask, and I mean no disrespect whatsoever in doing so, but what is it about Blue Chip picks that makes them so expensive and justifies the outlay?

Iíve used the yellow Dunlop Tortex picks for close to 20yrs, Iíve never found a pick I like better and theyíre tactile, toneful and inexpensive. Over here in the UK, Blue Chip picks are £40 a piece. Obviously theyíre a different kettle of fish, but I could buy 100 Tortex picks for that...what is it that makes the difference in build quality and price accordingly?

I thought it was ridiculous too but caved, tried them and love them. Iíve wanted to love the yellow tortex for years but no matter what I do to it it keeps slipping. Now iím Rotating between the two BCs trying to figure out which one sounds better, and iíll throw the Gibson tortoise cell into the rotation too. They stick to the fingers and glide off the strings.